Mississippi's most ballyhooed high schoolers haven't panned out

10:40 PM,
Apr. 23, 2011

Both 5-star recruits out of high school, Ole Miss defensive tackle Jerrell Powe (right) is expected to be a mid-round pick, while DeAndre Brown (above), Southern Miss' 6-foot-6 receiver, may not be selected at all.

Written by

Rick Cleveland

Jerrell Powe and DeAndre Brown were two of the most highly rated football recruits in Mississippi history, physically gifted five-star blue chippers who were expected to make a three-year pit stop in college on their way to NFL millions.

They were the elite of the elite. Consider: Since 2002, when Rivals.com and Scout.com began rating recruits on a one- to five-star scale, Powe and Brown are two of just 10 Mississippians to earn five-star ratings, two of only three to merit five stars from both Internet sites.

Yet, here we are, the week of the 2011 NFL Draft, and neither is expected to be an early ...